It’s not hard to see that Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera’s unica hija Zia takes after her parents.
Fans of the celebrity couple have been noticing some serious showbiz inclination from the six-year-old based on occasional videos shared by her parents on social media.
One of these clips shared by Marian, which went viral online, showed DongYan’s firstborn child singing her version of the hit single Dance Monkey by Australian singer-songwriter Tones and I. “Manang mana sa akin,” mused the proud mom.
Dingdong has also previously posted videos of him and Zia jamming to the classics as a nightly bonding ritual. And more recently, she was tapped as a celebrity endorser with her father for an e-commerce platform.
In an interview with The STAR for his latest film A Hard Day, the subject of Zia going into showbiz in the future was brought up. Dingdong said that if his daughter chooses to enter the entertainment business one day, they will give her their full support.
“Well, it’s going to be her choice. Our role talaga dito (as parents) ay ma-introduce siya sa mga bagay na kung saan may interest siya. So, kung gusto niya sa larangan ng arts, kung gusto niya sa larangan ng music, sa science man yan or kung ano man, andun kami para ipakita sa kanya ang mga options na ito at susuportahan namin siya ng 100 percent,” the Kapuso star said.
However, Dingdong hinted that in the next few years, Zia might stay away from the showbiz spotlight presumably to focus on her schooling.
“But when it comes to being on cam and probably siempre may hangganan muna yan. Ini-enjoy niya muna siguro yan pero in the coming years ay baka hindi muna and babalik siya pagka nasa tamang edad na siya,” he said.
During the same interview, The STAR asked Dingdong regarding an online GMA report about Marian being rumored to appear in the South Korean film Sad Tropics starring Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha star Kim Seon Ho. As per Korean Herald, the movie “centers around a wannabe boxer born to a Korean father and a Filipino mother coming to Korea to find the father who abandoned him.”
“Hindi ko alam. Siguro siya makakasagot pero sa nakikita ko wala pa naman siyang shino-shoot na ganun. Oo (mahilig siya sa Korean content),” said Dingdong, readily agreeing that it will be a big deal if ever it happens. “(But) I’m not in the position to answer that… Antayin natin siya ang sumagot.”
Meanwhile, on social media, the Dantes family’s latest update is about their recovery from COVID-19. In a Facebook video last Jan. 25, Dingdong said that while mobility was difficult because his entire household got infected with the virus, he was grateful that they only had mild symptoms, which he credited to being vaccinated and boosted.
He told his followers, “Tandaan natin na hindi po kasalanan or dapat ikahiya ang pagkakaroon ng COVID because siempre kahit anong pag-iingat ang gawin, nandyan at nandyan pa rin ang panganib na makuha ito. That’s why I think we have to double our efforts to have everyone vaccinated and receive their booster shot.”
He also urged everyone to continue following protocols like isolation immediately after getting positive COVID test results or when experiencing symptoms.
As of presstime, Dingdong is back to work. Previously, he spoke at a virtual presscon for his current drama I Can See You: AlterNate — now on its finale week — about the work setup for him and his wife, at least for the time being. He does the lock-in tapings while Marian stays home with the kids amid the still-ongoing pandemic.
“We just really have to adapt kung ano yung magiging sitwasyon ngayon kasi kahit anong pagpaplanong gawin mo, meron at merong mga pagbabagong darating, di ba,” he said.
“I must also say na naging madali din yung lock-in experience because of Marian’s support because siyempre kahit nanduon kami, nakakapagpadala pa rin siya ng pagkain na shina-share namin sa isa’t-isa kasi yun na lang ang kaligayahan namin tuwing rest days. She shows her support in those ways that’s why I was able to survive those 30 days of being away even though I missed them (family) very much.”